JETHRO VISITS MOSES.

Moyſes made ðor alter on,
"Min bliſ" iſ name ðor-one don.
Moses raises an altar.
ÐO cam ietro to moysen,
3400 To ſpeken him and ðo kinnes-men,
Jethro visits Moses,
And ſephora, moyſes wif,
And hire two ſunes of faiger lif;
Ietro liſtnede moyſes tale,
bringing with him Zipporah and her two sons.
3404 Of him and pharaon ðe dwale,
And ðhankede[[316]] it almigten wel,
ðat waſ bi-tid for iſrael;
Moses relates to him the destruction of Pharaoh.
And at wið moyſen feſtelike,
 [Fol. 66b.]
3408 And tagte him ſiðen witterlike
Vnder him helpes oðere don,
ðat folc ſtering to ſtreng[t]hen on.
Jethro counsels Moses to appoint rulers of the people,
Al bi ðhuſenz ðiſ folc was told,
3412 Ilc ðhuſent adde a meiſter wold;
And vnder ðiſ tgen[[317]] ſteres ben,
rulers of thousands,
Ilc here on hundred to bi-ſen;
Vnder ðis ilc two ſteres wunen,
rulers of hundreds,
3416 And vnder hem fif oðere numen;
rulers of fifties,
Ilc of ðe .v. ſteres-men
Vnder hem welden in ſtere tgen.[[317]]
and rulers of tens.
If ymong .x. wurð ogt miſ-don,
3420 Here ſtere rigten [ſulde] ðor-on,
And if he ne mai it rigten wel,
An appeal to be made from the ruler of ten,
Taunet iſ meiſter euerilc del;
And if he rigten it ne can,
to the ruler of hundreds,
3424 He taune it al hiſ ouer-man,
Ai ſo forð fro man to man,
Til he it here, ðe rigten can;
and thence to the superior ruler.
If it ne mai or rigted ben,
3428 ſo ſal it cumen to moysen.
The final appeal to be made to Moses.
He bad him cheſen ſtereſ-men
Migti, ðe gode-frigti ben,
ðe ſoð-faſtneſſe lef ben,
3432 And ðe niðing [and] giſcing flen.
These rulers were to be able men, god-fearing, lovers of truth, and haters of covetousness.

[316]

MS. ðahankede.

[317]

ten?